Ricky Lee LaPraim leading the first meeting for the development of the rewards platform technology, which later became the successful RepeatMD.
The initial technology development meeting for the rewards platform technology that evolved into the successful RepeatMD.

The Early Development of RepeatMD

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Startup Journey

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In my career, I’ve had the opportunity to build technology for countless organizations. I’ve joined organizations at every growth stage from startup, midsize, and Fortune 500 companies. While working with a publicly traded company or helping to boot strap a startup, I’ve always enjoyed the challenge of implementing cutting edge technology with an innovative strategy.

The majority of companies that I’ve worked with have reached out to me directly, but sometimes you meet people by chance. The startup VIP Insiders that later evolved into RepeatMD was one of the rare cases.

I’ve always believed that having many hobbies helps create a long life. Finding interest in everything from archery, gardening, photography and more. Well, at Houston’s gritty outdoor bar Axelrad, I spotted someone holding a camera gimbal that I had been thinking about purchasing. Wasting no time, I approached him and asked what he thought of it. After a few minutes, talking about camera gear, the conversation turned to a project he was working on.

My chance meeting was with Adam Lamprect-morphew, a freelance creative who was recently brought on as a creative director by his good friend who owned a German themed restaurant. The restauranteur named Phil Sitter was looking to build a rewards platform with a mobile application and dashboard. We exchange phone numbers and within a week we had a meeting set up.

Phil Sitter Serving Beer at Kings BierHaus Oktoberfest in Houston, Texas
Phil Sitter pouring beer at Oktoberfest at Kings BierHaus in Houston, Texas.

Not sure what to expect from someone who ran a restaurant where wearing a lederhosen was mandatory. Phil left the lederhosen’s at home and showed up excited to talk about the idea. Phil had his background in hospitality and had a finger on the pulse of what customers were looking for with rewards. The only problem was he seemed to have no technology background and needed to partner with someone who had experience in software development.

Creative Director Adam Lamprect-morphew working on the rewards platform app with LaPraim developer, showing real-time coding and application testing
Creative Director Adam Lamprect-morphew and developer actively working on coding and testing the rewards platform.
Ricky Lee LaPraim leading a meeting with developers for the rewards platform mobile app, which later evolved into RepeatMD
Ricky Lee LaPraim facilitating a team meeting with developers and the executive team to drive the development of the rewards platform.

Intrigued by the idea and available to jump into a new venture, I took on the challenge. Within a record speed, the company went from idea to product launch within five months. The software handled robust features, including a customizable rewards program that was directly available to a business customer base. The organization could monitor their sales through a dashboard and customize it as needed for loyalty promotions.

Cofounders CEO Phil Sitter, Creative Director Adam Lamprect-morphew, & technology developer Ricky Lee LaPraim of a rewards platform app posing together at a launch dinner which eventually became RepeatMD
CEO Phil Sitter, Creative Director Adam Lamprect-morphew, and Ricky Lee LaPraim celebrating the launch of the rewards platform mobile app.

Following its successful launch, the platform evolved by pivoting into the cosmetics industry. Although I was only involved in the early stages of the company, I take pride in the fact that I helped lead the technology development of what is now a company reportedly valued at over 100 million dollars.

Written by: Ricky Lee LaPraim